Fans from up and down the West Coast came to Evergreen Cemetery in Santa Cruz for a Día de los Muertos tribute to Oliver Tree, Lookout Santa Cruz reported.
A hometown artist
Tree, born and raised in Santa Cruz, died June 14 in a helicopter accident in Brazil. He was 32. Good Times reported that thousands of fans and mourners filled the UC Santa Cruz Quarry Amphitheater on July 25 for his celebration of life. The three-hour event was run like a roast, with family and friends sharing memories and jokes. Props from his career surrounded the stage, including the fake trees from his first concert at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in May 2014.
Good Times also reported that fans had begun visiting his newly installed headstone at Evergreen Cemetery.
What's next for his work
According to Lookout, Tree's family used the gathering to share plans for a large archive of unreleased music, books, films and other creative projects, along with a grant program for emerging artists. The family has not announced a timeline.